Jess' Life
by Jessica Guesstoffnon
Summary: About a girls life who loses almost everything
1. The Beginning

It all started about six years ago. Jess was at home with her parents. She hid in her room like usual especially when they were fighting. It seemed like it was all the time now. As they fought Jess would sit and listen to them and just get so pissed when her dad would hit her mom but, there was nothing she could do. She was ten years old, what could a ten year old do...nothing but sit there and take it.

A few days went by and her parents still fought like crazy but this day was different. Jess got her letter of acceptance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She wanted to tell her parents but knew otherwise. If she was to live her room her fate would be in her father's hands. So she stayed where she was and didn't tell them.

The next day she got up early and made sure her parents weren't up yet so she could leave. She grabbed her key to her Gringotts account and some floo powder. She threw the powder into the fire and it turned a beautiful shade of green. She stepped inside and said 'Diagon Alley' and from that moment on she felt sick to her stomach. She finally landed in 'Diagon Alley'.

She pulled out her list of things she needed for school. She made her first stop at Gringotts seeing as she needed money. The goblins seemed very agitated today but that didn't bother her. They took her to her vault and she got her money out. She headed out to her second stop which would be Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. She figured this would be less full. To her surprise it was just about empty. Madam Malkin pulled her to the footstool on the floor and measured her and got her, her robes quickly. She paid and left without another word.

The next stop on her list was Flourish and Blotts to pick up her school books. She had to wait in line because there were many people there but she was glad to be out of her house away from her parents. But little did she know what was going on at home. She paid for her books and as she walked out she saw another book called 'Potions and Beyond' by: Maddalena Guesstoffnon. She said to herself 'If I have enough money after I get all I need I am going to come back and get this book'

She headed off towards the cauldrons and picked up her pewter cauldron, telescope, and brass scales and left. She didn't like the owner very much he was a little strange for her taste. She headed for the Apothecary to pick up the phials she needed. She walked in and kind of went into a daze because of the smell of everything. She picked up the phials and a few other things she wanted and left.

Once outside she could breathe again she headed towards Ollivanders. She entered but saw no one. She called out "Is anyone there?" She almost jumped out of her skin when a guy popped out in front of her. He walked to back through the shelves sacked with assorted wands and such and walked back out holding a box. He set the box on the desk in front of him opened it and pulled out the wand. He then handed to her and said 'Give it a wave' so she did it was perfect. Her wand was a six inch mahogany unicorn hair. She paid for it and thanked him. She walked outside and counted out what she had left and she had just enough to buy the book she wanted.

She walked back towards Flourish and Blotts which was empty now. She walked in and picked up the book and paid for it. She headed back towards the fire place got her pouch of floo powder out. Threw some in and the flame became the brilliant green as it had before she stepped in and said 'Black House' she felt sick to her stomach again but pushed it out of her mind she was still wondering what she was going to find when she got home. She landed hard on the floor and noticed her parents weren't in there fighting yet. She set her things down in her room and started to call out to her parents but no answer. She went to their room but they weren't in there. Then she heard something down in the basement so she went down there to see. But when she got down there she thought maybe it wasn't a good idea to go down there at all because what she saw scared her. Her parents were laying there dead no one else was around.  
She ran to her room packed as much of her stuff as she could and as quickly as she could. She knew she had to get out of that house as quickly as possible. She took one more look at the house she had lived in for the ten years of her life and turned away and left. She had no idea where she was headed but she knew that wherever she went it had to be far away.

She dragged her trunk as far as she could but that was getting her no where then she remembered the knight bus and she dug in her trunk for her wand. She finally found it and held it out and the bus appeared she was so happy. They asked where she wanted to go and she said the Leaky Cauldron. Well just her luck that was there next stop. She was put in a room for a couple of days until it was time to go to King's Cross to get on the train. Boy was she ready to get to school she thought that maybe she would be safer there.

"And that is what happened before I came to Hogwarts" she said as she lay in the hospital wing.  
Fear overcame her she ran upstairs as quickly as she could. She ran to her room got her trunk


	2. The Next Part

She stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for a few days until it was time to go to King's Cross and get on the train to school. She was so excited, she couldn't wait to start. Her parents spoke so highly of the school…she stopped - the thought of her parents brought tears to her eyes. She shook her head as to get the thoughts out of her mind. 

The time came for her to start packing. She made sure everything was straight in her trunk and headed off towards King's Cross Station. When she got there she proceeded through Platform ¾. She was amazed at how many kids were there. It was so noisy and loud but amazing. She hopped on to the train, found a compartment to herself, and sat down. It was a long trip to the school. She started to read her schoolbooks. Finally the train stopped and someone yelled," First years!"

She got up and followed him. He was a very tall man with a beard, but he didn't say his name. The moment she saw the school she was in awe. It was so beautiful. The castle was lit up so exuberantly. They walked inside the school. 

She said, "This is amazing."

The walked into the Great Hall and she lost her breath. She and the rest of the first years walked to the front where Professor McGonagall was standing. She was ready to start school. She wasn't afraid of anything. She called out names in alphabetical order, and when she got to B, she called out "Black, Jess. "

She walked up and sat on the stool while Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on her head. The Sorting Hat sat there thinking and thinking…it was going between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. All she thought was 'I hope I get put in a good house.' It thought on this for a while and finally decided on Slytherin. She was excited to be in a house; any old house would do.

As her first year started, she went to Professor Dumbledore and asked him about changing her last name to Guesstoffnon. When he asked her why, she replied, "Because of my parents being killed. I don't know who killed them and whether or not he is after me, so I thought if I did that, then he won't be able to find me. Dumbledore agreed and let all the teachers know that she had changed her last name.

As the year went by, she studied all the time. She didn't really talk to anyone – besides, they all thought she was weird, and didn't understand how she got put in Slytherin. She certainly didn't seem to be like one of them. She was more timid then outspoken. She was very brave but she could think things through.

The year finally ended, and she went anywhere but home, because she didn't have a home anymore. She had money - she used what was in her parents' and her own bank account- so she lived on her own. No one even knew her parents were dead yet, so she could do what she wanted to.

The summer dragged on and nothing of interest happened. Normally she found herself in a library, reading away. She went to Diagon Alley and got her schoolbooks for the next year.

The summer finally ended she was ready to get back to school. She packed her things and headed to King's Cross Station.

The train ride went like it usually did, and she was happy that she was going somewhere where she could learn and study and be safe. She didn't really feel safe all summer because there was no one there to protect her.

The year started, and she kept to herself, studying all the time. She didn't have any friends - just her books and papers. People thought she was strange and didn't even want to talk to her, and as a result she was usually by herself. But she didn't mind, because that meant that she could work and study.

As the year came to an end, Dumbledore called Jess to his office and told her he found a family for her to stay with over the summer.

"Who?" she asked.

"The Malfoys," He told her.

So that summer she ended up staying with the Malfoys. They were the best of the wizard families. They had a son named Draco. They really didn't get along because he was younger than her. All through the summer she did work for Lucius. She cleaned house and odd sorts of things for them and didn't get to study at all. She hated living there - she wished she could go back to living on her own, but Dumbledore didn't want her to do that, and insisted that she stay with the Malfoys.

Finally, she got to go to Diagon Alley and get her books. "The summer is almost over," she thought to herself. She got to leave early because they said she could leave, and she headed for the train. She was so relived to finally leave.

Her third year started, and it went the same as the year before. She didn't talk to really anyone unless she had to, and as a result people said she was even more strange. However, everyone wanted to be her partner in class because she always made good grades. She knew they were using her, but she didn't mind because they would leave her alone and let her get her work done. She went through the year without worrying about anything except the end of the year, when she had to go back to the Malfoys.

The summer started, and it was the same as before, except this time Draco kept telling her that when school started she wasn't allowed to tell anyone that she was living with him and his family, because he didn't want to be known as the 'boy who has the weird girl living with him.' She agreed and went back to her work. She got to go get her books and was allowed this time to read them. Now when it came time to leave, she wasn't allowed to be seen with the Malfoy family, so she left earlier than they did, and was happy to do it. She got on the train and sat by herself all the way to the school.

Her fourth year started the same as usual. Throughout the year, Draco would nag her about not telling anyone about her staying with him over the summer.

She was starting to get really upset about it all and finally said, "Look, I get it. You don't want people to know that I am staying with you. And no one will find out. But you could stop nagging me? You know, someone might suspect something - you are always talking to me."

After that he stopped nagging her and starting hanging out with a guy in her year named Dorado. She had a crush on him but he didn't like her and she knew that. She kept up her way of studying and not letting anyone, or for that matter any guy, in. The year came to an end and she returned to the Malfoys' house.

The summer started they made her work all summer as punishment for the way she had treated Draco during school. At one point, Draco came up to her one and said,

"This will teach you to boss me around." She just shook her head. She really wanted to say something back to him in retaliation, but knew she couldn't - she would get more work. Finally, they went to get their books - of course not together, but she didn't mind that. The summer came to an end, and she was extremely happy.

They headed to the train like they had the summer before, but this time she wasn't by herself. This time she had to sit with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Dorado. The majority of the time she sat looking out the window and didn't say anything. That didn't matter because they didn't even realize she was in there until she got up and got a book out of her trunk. They looked at her like she was scum, and then went back to talking about whatever they were talking about. The year started and she did the same as before kept to herself, made perfect grades and all of that. She wasn't ready for the summer to come but it did.

"I wasn't ready for what happened next and neither were some other people but it all happened and there wasn't anything anyone could have done to stop it." She stopped and continued with her story.


	3. The Locket

She sat up slightly on the bed in the hospital wing and continued with her story. "Now this brings us up to this past summer."

The summer began as it usually did. She and Draco would go back to the Malfoy Manor and she would be annoyed by him and his family to do this and that. Well she had had enough. She thought to herself 'maybe I will just leave.' She waited until morning and made an announcement "I am leaving and you can't stop me." They looked at her in an odd sort of way and they watched as she turned and walked out the door without another word.

Finally she was free of them free, of Draco and his annoying friends. Then a thought popped into her head 'what am I going to do now. I haven't a place to go.' So she thought about it while she headed towards the Leaky Cauldron. She got there and stayed the night and then she realized 'the school…I could go and stay at the school.' So she grabbed her things and headed towards the school. She didn't make it far before she met up with Professor Dumbledore who seemed very happy to see her. He told her that he and she had a few things to do this summer and no matter what she had to do them. So she complied and went with him.

She hadn't a clue where he was taking her until she saw it the most horrid place on earth, a place she said she would never go to again, it was her home. The home she knew for eleven years of her life and a place she didn't want to be. Professor Dumbledore could see the fear in her eyes he said as to comfort her "It is alright no one is there and no one will come while we are there." She went at ease a little bit. She was still quite afraid of that house but she gathered up all the bravery she could muster and went into the house.

Once inside the house Dumbledore told her she needed to gather up valuables that she could take with her. She nodded and went straight to her room and gathered a few items and then her parents. Everything else in the house could go somewhere else except for one thing but that was in the basement. She dreaded the basement, she thought 'I don't want to go down there…maybe I can get Dumbledore to go and get it, but wait he may not know exactly what it is.' She went to Dumbledore anyways and said "Would you go down..." but before she could finish Dumbledore stopped her and said "I am not going down, I don't know what it is and you must go down and get it." She thought to herself 'I knew he was going to say that' "Ok" she said as she headed towards the door to the basement.

She opened the door and her mind filled with the memories of the past of the night she came to find her parents dead. She headed down the stairs slowly trying to forget the past and get the item in question. As she got to the floor she looked around and noticed her parent's bodies were gone. A thought came to mind 'they're gone but then that means someone has come into the house after she left. A fear filled her as she went to get the item which happened to be a necklace that was to be hers. It was a silver locket she could never open it though her parents told her that when she was of age she would get the necklace but seeing as they weren't alive she could take it now. She went to the jewel case and opened it up. She looked inside and there was the necklace but along with the necklace was a bunch of papers she didn't really look at them but took them with her. She thought well if they were with the necklace then I will take them with me. With one more glance at the basement floor and where she found her dead parents she ran up the stairs.

Dumbledore had been in the kitchen looking through the things in there. Jess entered the kitchen and said "I have everything I need now. Can we please leave now? I don't feel safe in here." Dumbledore nodded and picked up everything and left the house. As they walked away she glanced back at the house and realized it would be the last time she ever saw the house. Now in her mind the past is the past and I don't need to see it anymore. 

They had now entered the Leaky Cauldron and were giving rooms to stay in. Jess handed Dumbledore the papers "Here I found these I don't want to look at them they might be something like there final wishes or something" she said. Dumbledore took the papers and nodded and said "You should go get some sleep now you have had a long trying day." She agreed and left him alone and went to bed. Although she didn't sleep she stayed awake trying to get the locket open but it reached about one in the morning and she grew very weary and decided to go to sleep.

The following morning Dumbledore came in and woke her up. He told her he had a few things to do but he would be back later but he gave her, her list of books and other assorted items she would need for the following year so she could go and get them. She thanked him for the list and got out of bed quickly. She put on her locket that she couldn't open and headed for Diagon Alley.

Once in Diagon Alley she went through her list of things and decided to go to the book store last. She went through every store as so she could waste the day away. She finally went into the bookstore and bought her sixth books. After that she headed back to the Leaky Cauldron so she could start her reading. Never before hadn't she gotten her list early but now…now she had time to read her books for the following year. The moment she entered the Leaky Cauldron she met up with Dumbledore who seemed very occupied by the papers she had given him the other night but that didn't bother her she gave him a 'hello' and headed off towards her room.

As the days went by she tried still to get the locket opened but nothing she tried worked, she tired spells, enchantments, anything and everything she could use to pry it open but nothing worked. She was getting kind of fed up with it but she still kept she thought 'well maybe when I become of age it will open.' So the summer came slowly to an end even though she didn't want it to end just yet she felt that it needed to end. She packed up her things and got ready to go to King's Cross Station.

King's Cross Station looked the same as it had before as she made her way through the crowded ways and made it to 9 ¾. She went through the barrier to a familiar sight. The big red train and all the people running around trying to find places to sit and what to do with their trunks and everything. She placed her trunk in the back where she usually put it and then climbed up into the train and looked for an empty compartment. She found one luckily and sat down. She pulled out a book which she had been reading, as she started to read four people came into the room. 'Oh great' she thought for it was none other then Draco and his posse. Of course they didn't take any notice of her which she didn't care although she wouldn't have minded if Dorado took notice of her. He was tall and had dirty blonde hair with blue eyes. He was athletic and so very handsome but he wouldn't notice her. She was just a plain person and no one ever notices plain people.

The train started to move and they all sat down and starting talking about how wonderful their summers were. 'Great just what I want to her then all went to these terrific places and all I went to was my old house' she thought as she pretended to read her book. It started to rain outside she decided to put her book down and watch the rain and lightening. The boys talked more and more and still didn't take notice of her. She still didn't mind she liked not being noticed especially if that might no one would talk bad about her but then Draco looked over at her and said "And how was your summer miss runaway?" She looked over at him and then back at the ground "It was good for the most part. I had fun in my own way" she said confidently. They looked at her like she had just come out of a grave or something. Thankfully the train came to a stop and she jumped up and left the compartment with out another word.

She stopped for a moment "So far that was the best part I think but wait it gets weirder." And she continued


	4. News

She readjusted herself and began again with her story.

As she exited the train she saw all the frightened first years but she didn't show any sympathy towards them since she had to go through it. She hurried towards the horseless carriage and jumped in. Luckily no one was inside the carriage left before any more passengers could get in. She thought to herself 'This is turning out to be a good year….it is has only been a few hours…things will change… but for now I will just be happy.'

The carriage stopped and she jumped out and ran up to the school as to get out of the rain. She walked into the Great Hall and sat down near the end of the Slytherin table where she always sat. Seeing as she didn't like to talk people so she made it so she didn't have to converse with them so she sat by herself. No one liked to sit at the end so she would be by herself.

She watched as people came in and settled down at their tables. Finally everyone had come in except the first years but that was obvious because of the Sorting Ceremony. Dumbledore stood up and made everyone quiet down so he could say a few words. "Now we all know we are to be on our best behavior and help the first years out. Please this year try and do this." And he sat down, while some at their tables started giggling to themselves. She overheard someone say "Yeah, us help the first years, maybe help them in a trash can."

The first years were led in by Professor McGonagall. They were scared and weren't sure what was going on. One by one they were called to the front and Professor placed the Sorting Hat on their head and they were sorted. They were excited to finally be placed in a house and ran to the table and sat down. The Ceremony finished and everyone ate.

Time went by and everyone was getting settled into a routine so it made it easier. Well in Professor Snapes class he was starting to assign partners for a project that they would have to do. Secretly Professor Dumbledore told all of the Professors that if they had partner work they were to put Jessica and Dorado together they weren't sure why but they did as he said.

So the day Snape announced that they were getting partners everyone was excited except Jessica. Snape called out her name she went to the front of the room and then called out Dorado's name. Her heart raced as Dorado got up and came to the front of the room. She thought 'why am I getting placed with him…wait why should I care…I like him…but' she had lost her train of thought because Snape made them go sit down at a different table. She was happy but he looked miserable.

After class she had free time so she went to the common room to start on their project in her mind she knew he wasn't going to help her. So she walked into the common room and sat by the far window and started reading the assignment. A little while later Dorado comes in with his gang and they were just a yelling. Dorado was ticked because he had to work with me. He said "Why do I have to work with her she doesn't talk to anybody and she is just weird." She just listened to them all put her down and she realized that…that was how everyone thought about her. They didn't realize she was in there and she started crying and thought 'well I might as well run away now… there is no need to stay here anymore.' She got up to leave the room and that was when they saw her. They didn't feel guilty about anything and she just walked by them.

She left the common room and that is where she ran into Professor Dumbledore and he said he needed to talk to her. She said "Ok when do you want to talk?" He replied "Right now… just go up to my office and wait I have to do something." She nodded and watched him walk away then she headed straight towards his office. She walked up the statue "Cockroach Cluster" and the statue moved. She headed up the stairs and opened the door and she sat down. She looked at Fawkes and all the other random instruments in his office. She sat waiting for about fifteen minutes and then Dumbledore and Dorado walked in.

She was confused "Dumbledore I thought you wanted to talk to me?" she asked. Dorado was shocked to hear her speak "You know how to talk?" he teased. She just looked at him and then back to Dumbledore. Dumbledore motioned for them both to sit down. They both sat but not next to each other. She sat on the stairs behind Dumbledore and Dorado sat on the couch. Dumbledore made her go and sit on the couch. He sat down at his desk and began looking at some papers. Dorado says "Ok Dumbledore what did you want?" Dumbledore looked up from the papers and asked Dorado "Have your parents ever told you that you were to marry a certain person?" Dorado said "I was told that I was going to but then the girl's parents disappeared and they said it was off." He then turned to Jessica "Have your parents ever told you that?" She shook her head. Dumbledore picked up the papers he was looking at and handed them to Jessica and said do you recognize these papers. She looked at them and then said "Aren't these the ones that I gave you the night we left my parents house?" He nodded and then told her to read them. She read through them slowly and when she had finished she looked up at Dumbledore and then towards Dorado and back again. She was in shock from what she had just read. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't be. She finally said "Dumbledore this can't be true it just can't be I don't believe it." Dorado said "What is it?" 

She stopped and said "I need a drink of water." Dorado ran to get a glass and he brought it back to her. "Thank You." And she started again.


	5. Newly Found Relationship

Dorado, who was getting more agitated, grabbed the papers from her hands and began to read them. He looked up with an astonished look "Is this true??"

Dumbledore nodded "It is indeed true, please understand that this isn't how they wanted you all to find out, but that is how it is to be."

Jessica with a look of horror finally spoke "So, is there anyway out of it?"

"I am afraid not, your parents as well as his signed the paper and made it clear that this is what they wanted." Dumbledore replied.

They heard a knock at the door. In walked Dorado's parents. "What is the meaning of this, Albus?" they asked in unison

"The papers, Dorado, would you hand them to your father please," Dumbledore asked

Dorado stood up slowly, took the papers to his father and then sat back down.

His parents read through the papers and then looked at Dumbledore, then to Jessica and back to the papers. "Am I reading this correctly? This is their daughter? Why haven't they contacted us?" Dorado's father finally inquired.

"Well..." Dumbledore started.  
Although, Jessica jumped up and said, "Well, if you would have been in better contact, you would have known that they were dead and have been dead for five years now, but no, you were off in some other world. While the fact still remains that you signed that paper stating that I have to marry your son, who doesn't even like me, and I can see from the looks on your faces that you don't like me either, but what does that matter. You signed the paper sealing our fate, and that is all there is to it."

She inhaled deeply as she sat down trying to hold back tears. They looked astonished and couldn't think of anything to say. The room was silent for what seemed an eternity until Dumbledore spoke up.  
"Well, we need to decide what needs to be done as you can't break a contract, unless both parties agree and seeing as her parents are no longer here and she has to decide," he looked over at her, "but I say we give them the year to decide. Although, I don't know what effects will come out of breaking such a contract."

Dorado's parents nodded and his father said, "No, we made the contract, we will follow through with it; they will marry as soon as they become of age. For now they need to get to know each other."

Dorado looked over at his parents as if to find something that would say they were lying and he wouldn't have to, but he saw none. He looked at Jessica and a thought came to him 'well I guess this is how it goes now.'

Jessica thought her life was going to change; she didn't know at that moment how right she was.

Dumbledore told Jessica and Dorado they could go, eat dinner. As they left, Dumbledore continued to talk to Dorado's parents. Finally, Dorado decided to break the silence between the two.  
"So, would you care to eat dinner with me and my friends?" he said knowing quite well that it would be social suicide to sit with her.

Jessica looked up at him seeming a bit calmer then when she basically yelled at his parents. "Now, you really don't want to eat with me, and I have heard that if you sit with me it would be social suicide. So, why don't we save ourselves the trouble and only talk when we have school work or when no one is around, that way you have your social status and I have mine," she said coldly.

It took him a great deal to say his next statement. "That is your choice, but I am willing to...lose my social status"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "I don't think you are really willing; maybe when you are you can come talk to me," she said as she walked into the Great Hall and sat at her normal end of the table.

Dorado shook his head and went to sit with his friends. They began asking him questions as to what happened in Professor Dumbledore's office; he just shrugged them off. He didn't want them to know what really happened.

Later that night, he headed for his dormitory and got out a quill and some parchment. He then began writing a letter to his parents.

Dear Mum and Dad,  
I know you said that I would have to get to know her first, but are you seriously going to make me marry her. I mean come on; she is a loner like none before. All she does is study and won't talk to anyone. I really don't understand her. I guess if you want me to still get to know her then I will grit my teeth and bare it, but I won't be happy about it.  
Your Son,  
Dorado

The next morning came, Jessica headed to the table to eat breakfast. As she sat down, Dorado sat down next to her. "Good Morning," he said with a smile

Jessica looked at him. "Good Morning," she said dully as she looked back her place.

"Why are you sitting with me?" she asked.

"Just to talk about our project in potions and maybe see if we can hang out sometime?" he said shortly.

"I have loads of work I have to do, so no to hanging out. And when do you want to start the potions project?" she said looking at him.

"How about after classes today; we can go and look in the library," he said.

"Okay, that is fine by me," she said as she began to eat her breakfast.

After she ate her breakfast, she headed towards her first class, which happened to be potions, which meant Dorado would be her partner. 'Great,' she thought. 'Just what I need, him asking me all sorts of questions. I know I like him and all, but I don't think I want to marry him, yeah date, but who am I kidding? He is amazing, and I just don't want him to lose all of his friends and his status because of me…' She entered the classroom, had a seat, and began looking at the days notes. Dorado came in talking with a group of friends, and then he took his place next to her and grabbed his book out of his bag.

Professor Snape came into the room and began teaching. Dorado wrote something on a piece of parchment and passed it to one of his friends who started to laugh to himself. Jess looked over at them as to say 'shut-up', and Dorado stopped what he was doing and looked up at Snape. After class Dorado caught up to Jess "Hey, so the library right after classes right?"

Jess nodded and headed off to her Defense against Dark Arts.

Jess stopped for a moment before she began again.


End file.
